National Anthem-- E. Jeager

Fooled Into Grief

Despite our infamous efforts to protect the gate, the titans continued to flood inside. Fortunately for us, we had a big helper.

The human-defending-titan continued to destroy, and although it sounds crazy enough, he didn't acknowledge us once.

Armin and I stood side-by-side on a nearby rooftop, observing carefully as the titan was bombarded by hundreds of others.

It seemed as if his energy began to burn out, as steam erupted from his muscular body. Ultimately, he became too weak to stand his ground. The titan was knocked mercilessly onto the ground.

Ploddingly, the other titans began to eat him alive. Until eventually one of the hungry titans reached the nape of his neck, finishing it off overall.

But something unusual happened. A human boy emerged from the open wound, falling gracefully onto his back.

I gasped noisily. It was Eren. Fucking. Jeager.

Instantly, I was drawn to him. I anchored my gear to the titans remains, swinging towards him.

It really was him, and he was so much more beautiful up close. I scooped him into my arms, clutching him closer to my chest as tears cascaded down my face.

For the first time in forever, I felt at peace. The world around me stopped for a moment, and it was just me and him. The only sound I heard was his heart throbbing as I placed my ear over his heaving chest.

I didn't care about the fact that he was a titan. I didn't care why. All I wanted was him in my arms, forever.

Suddenly, I was ripped away from him, and time resumed. Now, I could hear the sounds of Mikasa and Armin screaming my name.

"No, no!" I screamed. I wept loudly, kicking my feet like a child throwing a tantrum. Finally, I opened my eyes. Armin's arms were wrapped firmly around my torso.

I continued to scream as loud as I could, begging for him to leave me here. Suddenly, a wave of pain hit me like a bag of bricks, and gradually, I faded into unconscience.
—————-
My eyes deliberately peeled open, and the first thing that hit me was intense pain. As the light illuminated my vision, I saw my father looming over me.

"What the hell was that stunt you pulled back there?" He barked. "You could've been killed."

"You..." I uttered. "You knocked me out?"

"It was the only way," He breathed.

As I regained full consciousness, I flipped over onto my side. Lying on the bed next to me was Eren, the same boy who got me here in the first place.

"He's fine," Erwin sighed, gingerly capturing my shoulder.

"I don't understand," I wept. "Mikasa saw him die,"

"It's a complicated matter. You shouldn't get involved. I want you to stay away from him,"

"I can handle myself," I responded cruelly.
He ignored my disobedience and trotted out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

I turned to face Eren once more. His tawny brown hair was pushed back by a layer of bandages wrapped around his forehead. His aquamarine eyes were elegantly shut, the sun delicately illuminating his tan skin.

He really was special.

Suddenly, the door swung open. It was Mikasa and Armin. I pushed my hair out of my face, tying it into a flaccid ponytail.

I opened my arms freely, gesturing a welcoming hug. The two teenagers wrested me rigidly, nuzzling their faces within the crook of my neck.

"I can't believe the commander really knocked you out!" Armin shouted giddily. "It was pretty badass."

I scoffed, relaxing my unyielding body and allowing myself to topple backwards onto the strained pillow below me.

Mikasa made her way to Eren, brushing his bangs away from his eyes. I couldn't help but notice the pit of jealousy forming within my brimming chest.

I turned to Armin, who seemed to notice. A concieted grin crawled onto his face.

"So, Eren's really a titan, huh?" I gulped, swiftly changing the subject. "It's almost unbelievable, although we all seen it happen with our own eyes."

Armin nodded. "Do you think he knew beforehand?"

"No," Mikasa added, plopping down along the vacant spot next to me. "He would've told us,"

I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip perturbedly. Something about this situation was unnervingly odd.

"What's if he's been evil this whole time?" Armin spouted. "And he never told us!"

Mikasa and I greeted him with an unsettling glance.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking out loud." He responded breathlessly.

Suddenly, a noisy groan was heard from Eren's side of the room.